Bus Accident Attorney in Lee's Summit, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Lee's Summit, MO. If you or someone you care about has been hurt in a devastating bus accident, take control of your recovery by calling Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or by contacting us online.

Bus accidents rarely ever get equal attention as plane or train wrecks, even though the can often be similarly hazardous and deadly. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Lee's Summit, MO bus drivers and bus companies to keep us safe and follow the rules. When they eschew their obligations and disregard the rules it can have ruinous, sometimes permanent outcomes for you or the people you care about. Your Lee's Summit, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make certain that you secure the best possible compensation that you are entitled to for your injuries.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has over 20 years of experience fighting for the rights of the injured in Lee's Summit and throughout Missouri and standing up to bullies like resistant insurance companies and people who carelessly do not want to take responsibility for their thoughtless actions. Our Lee's Summit, MO clients have put their cases and their futures in our knowledgeable hands, and to date we have gotten them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their determination, dedication, tenacity, knowledge and experience to help right wrongs in personal injury cases and help Lee's Summit, MO residents become whole again. You should not have to lose work, pay for exorbitant medical costs and also handle the emotional scars of your injury just because somebody else broke the rules. If you or someone you care about has been injured in a Lee's Summit, MO bus accident, reach out to the bus accident attorney of Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free case review. We start working on your claim immediately, and we do not charge any fees until we win your case.

If you were injured in a bus accident in Lee's Summit, MO because of another person's negligent behavior, learn how much your damages may be worth by using our personal injury calculator.

Do I Need a Lee's Summit, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you were caused injuries in a bus accident, you are likely feeling especially unprotected. After all, you were not the driver and you went aboard the bus under the assumption that the proper safety arrangements were obeyed. Lee's Summit, MO bus companies and drivers have strict laws they have a duty to obey, but sometimes they neglect those obligations and they leave us to pick up the pieces. Because of the force that is often exerted by bus accidents, injuries can take years to truly heal from, may have lifelong effects or in the most terrible cases can even result in wrongful death. The Lee's Summit, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will fight on your behalf so you do not need to face an uncertain future alone. When you hire us we get to work on on your case at once, and work tirelessly until you get the maximum compensation you are entitled to. We have seen every type of bus accident claim and know every trick insurance companies use to try and deceive injured Lee's Summit, MO individuals and families into settling for less money than they entitled to. Those Lee's Summit, MO insurance companies fear us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes on – and wins – the complicated cases. Call us today and let the passionate, experienced and aggressive bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you protect your family’s future and help make you whole again.

The legal process is complicated and can be difficult to comprehend for Lee's Summit, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial capabilities of an accomplished bus accident attorney. For over 20 years fighting back against bullies and fighting the hard fight. When you hire our Lee's Summit, MO bus accident attorney team, we manage every detail of your claim. You can bank on a seasoned and skilled bus accident attorney at Burger Law to:

• Investigate the crash site as soon as possible. When you call us, we can have a bus accident lawyer at the site at any time of the day or night in order to obtain essential evidence for your claim.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also experienced injuries in the crash or were nearby. As buses carry many passengers, there are typically a lot of people who want the same answers and financial recovery you do. Eyewitness testimony is a essential part of proving your case.
• Obtain additional evidence such as tire marks, surveillance videos, police reports, and key details such as how far the driver had driven without taking a break or when the last inspection and repairs were conducted on the bus. A lot of different factors contribute to bus accidents, and your Burger Law Lee's Summit, MO bus accident attorney will determine the "whys" of the accident and who needs to be held liable.
• Use our network of Lee's Summit, MO crash and medical experts to determine negligence for your bus accident injuries and assess exactly how much your damages are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are entitled to and we will utilize our knowledge and expertise to make sure you receive it.
• Fight back against resistant Lee's Summit, MO insurance companies who are more concerned for their profits than your well-being. We have seen every trick in the book that insurance companies use to try and weasel their way out of their duty to compensate you. When you hire us, you can be sure those deceptive maneuvers will not work in your case.
• Take the fight in front of a judge and jury if the insurance company will not offer a fair settlement, we will use our constantly trained litigation skills to secure you a full financial recovery for your injuries.

Beyond that, our bus accident attorney team will be in your corner entire time. We manage all communication, documentation and litigation so that you can spend all of your energy on healing and making your family whole again. You owe us no attorneys fees until you get maximum compensation. If you or a loved one has been injured in a ruinous bus accident, contact an expert and dedicated bus accident attorney at Burger Law today.

Who is Liable for My Bus Accident Injuries?

Since bus drivers, companies and manufacturers all have a part to play in running a bus safely you will first need to discover the cause of the accident before determining who is liable. Thankfully, an accomplished and skilled Lee's Summit, MO bus accident attorney like those at Burger Law have seen every variety of car accident, truck accident and bus accident case and will be able to discover who is liable for your injuries.

What Causes Bus Accidents? | Lee's Summit, MO Bus Accident Attorney

• Driver age and experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that beginner drivers under 25 years old, as well as more experienced drivers over 55 years old were more likely to be driving when a bus accident transpired.
• Driver behavior. While the same study found that only 4 percent of bus accidents were due to a serious offense such as drunk driving, a different study by the University of Michigan found that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus collisions had been cited with driving errors, such as speeding, being sleepy or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A lot of bus drivers, particularly the ones that work for commercial bus companies such as Greyhound that necessitate drivers to drive hundreds of miles in the middle of the night, become fatigued and can even fall asleep behind the wheel. While most busing companies have rules about how many hours a driver can drive during without a break or how often they have to take a break, those regulations are often <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2016/05/23/us/greyhound-investigation/" target="_blank” rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener title="CNN"not enforced or obeyed.
• Road hazards. Given buses’ size and the difficulty of driving them, icy roads or Lee's Summit, MO construction areas can be particularly hazardous for bus commuters. Occasionally a third party such as a construction company is at fault. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you determine if that applies case.
• Negligence by the bus company. Bus companies are overseen by regulatory entities, but much less than other transportation industries. A 2011 study by the National Transportation Safety Board found that The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has only 878 personnel responsible for reviews for more than 765,000 trucks and buses, or just 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means inspectors often cannot keep pace with the amount of inspections needed. Some Lee's Summit, MO bus companies do not properly inspect their vehicles, causing them to be less safe. Furthermore, bus companies are obligated to make sure that their drivers are properly trained and are not overworked.
• Hazardous roads. Faults in the road and road conditions can cause a driver to lose control and crash. A Few typical examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Uneven pavement or cracks in the pavement
  • Defective or missing traffic signals
  • Obstacles on the road, for example branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Inadequate lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The longer the hazardous condition has been on the Lee's Summit, MO street, the better chance you have of holding the liable parties responsible. The liable party may be a local Lee's Summit, MO government, or a third party whom the government contracted to fix the problem but either did not do so in a timely fashion or did not sufficiently repair it.

Once your knowledgeable Lee's Summit, MO bus accident attorney determines the cause of your crash, they will be able to ascertain who is responsible for your injuries and how to take the next steps toward securing you a maximum financial recovery. Below are some examples of parties who are frequently found at-fault in bus accident claims.

Commercial Bus Lines

Transportation buses such as Greyhounds are considered common carriers legally speaking, which means they have a duty of care to their customers to maintain their safety. One aspect of that duty of care is to make sure that their drivers are not driving too many miles without a break. In despite of insisting that safety is their utmost priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not complying with its own rules when it comes to driver fatigue. Drivers are theoretically obligated to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the vehicle to inhibit sleepiness. However, the rule is not enforced and is rarely obeyed as too many breaks could cause financial losses for the company. A 2012 government study found that 37 percent of all passenger bus crashes were caused by driver fatigue. Furthermore, many Greyhound passengers have reported that their driver was eating during the time of a crash, which is an example of distracted driving.

Ensuring that Lee's Summit, MO buses are adequately inspected and maintained and that safety equipment such as seatbelts are present and up-to-date are also the responsibility of the bus company. A bus accident might be because of a bus company either failing to provide routine maintenance or failing to fix a broken part or component. Older buses are especially at risk of breaking down and bus companies need to keep their fleets updated.

Lastly, bus companies need to be prudent in their hiring practices. All drivers need to be adequately licensed and trained, and should only be able to drive after passing stringent background checks. Your Lee's Summit, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will perform a complete investigation into the bus company's hiring practices and the person who was driving when the wreck happened.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have an obligation to certify the safety of their vehicles and quickly announce recalls in the event of a faulty product. If they approve an inherently defective design or do not recall a component that they knew or should have known was not functioning correctly, they are guilty of product liability. While they might attempt to shift the blame to somebody else, your Lee's Summit, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over two decades of experience making sure negligent parties are held accountable for their behavior.

The Lee's Summit or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can frequently be ruinous because of the amount of people involved and because they typically occur in densely populated areas. While you can make a claim against the Lee's Summit, MO government, there are particular procedures for doing so. Missouri has sovereign immunities for governmental bodies and government employees than for the average citizen in tort suits. If you seek to file a suit against a municipality or government employee, you must file it within 90 days of the accident with the Office of Administration’s Risk Management Division. That is why it is urgent to call a Lee's Summit, MO bus accident attorney straight away after your accident. Do not delay, call the trusted Burger Law bus accident injury lawyers now at (314) 500-HURT.

Missouri Revised Statute §537.600 grants sovereign immunity to government entities and employees except against a government employee who was operating a motor vehicle “within the course of their employment.” This means that you can sue or make a claim against a negligent or careless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause a crash owing to driver error. If they became distracted by eating or texting, did not pull over when they were feeling overly tired, did not pay attention to the Lee's Summit, MO road conditions and driving laws while they were driving or made the terrible decision to drive drunk, they need to be held accountable just like their employers sometimes have to be. When you get on a bus you trust that driver with your safety and your life. If a bus driver does not take that responsibility to heart and causes you injury, you can be confident that the dedicated and relentless bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make them pay.

The Other Driver

Like any type of auto collision, two or more drivers are frequently involved, and in some cases they each may bear a portion of the blame. Another driver’s thoughtlessness, such as speeding, driving while intoxicated or pulling in front of the bus too quickly can injure you. If you were harmed in a bus crash where there was another driver or drivers involved, your skilled and seasoned Lee's Summit, MO bus accident attorney will help you confirm if they are responsible and if you can make a claim against their insurance company.

School Districts

School bus accidents are the the kind of bus crash we most commonly see in Lee's Summit and Missouri. Nationally, school bus accidents account for 40 percent of all fatal bus crashes. While often the driver, bus company or bus manufacturer is liable, a school district in Lee's Summit, MO may also be held responsible, for instance if they did not cancel school on a day when road conditions were especially bad or they did not perform adequate background checks when hiring drivers.

Below are some helpful links and frequently asked questions for bus accident injuries and other types of injuries:

• Do I have to Talk to the Insurance Company Before I Talk to a Lawyer?
• How Much to Expect in an Auto Accident Settlement
• What Happens During Litigation?
• Does My Family Have a Wrongful Death Claim?
• Proving Negligence in a Personal Injury Claim

What Compensation Can A Bus Accident Attorney in Lee's Summit, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you recover in a bus accident case will usually be based on the severity of your injuries and the repercussions they have on your life. You may have received a sprained ankle that just required a quick trip to an emergency room in Lee's Summit, MO and a week or two off work. Or, you may have sustained a catastrophic spinal cord injury that leaves you disabled and in need of assistive devices for the remainder of your life. When you hire a dedicated and accomplished Lee's Summit, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make certain that you receive a full financial recovery for all of the pain and inconvenience your injury has caused and will continue to cause. Missouri Senate Bill 239 defines the damages you can receive as:

• Economic damages, including:
  • Medical costs, such as hospital bills, physical therapy, assistive devices and medications
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning potential

  We utilize our network of medical and economic experts to compute the exact dollar amount you are owed, accounting for inflation for future lost earning potential or future medical expenses.

• Noneconomic damages, including:
  • pain and suffering
  • mental anguish
  • inconvenience
  • physical impairment
  • disfigurement
  • loss of capacity to enjoy life
  • loss of consortium

However serious your injuries and however much they have impacted your life, Burger Law's Lee's Summit, MO bus accident attorney team will fight relentlessly to ensure that you recover the best possible compensation for all of your damages.

Learn more about our various practice areas by clicking the links below:

• Truck Crash Lawyers in Missouri
• Semi-Truck Accident Lawyer in Missouri

Call Our Lee's Summit, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every kind of bus accident case and know the incalculable anguish and devastating effect it can have on your and the people you care about. Your Lee's Summit, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is empathetic, accomplished, trustworthy and relentless and will use every bit of the knowledge and abilities we have obtained over the past two decades to win you the full recovery you rightfully deserve. If you or a loved one has been harmed in a bus accident, do not delay. Call Burger Law immediately at (314) 500-HURT or fill out our online form for a complimentary case review.